Toe or grouter attachment for traction-wheels.



' l I -r f v l 1]] WITNESSES:

, J W Q a I ATTORNEY. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MCDONALD, OF BLAIR TOWNSHIP, WASHINGTON COUNTY,

NEBRASKA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed October 7,1905. Seria1No. 281,820.

To all whom it may concern: 3

Be it known that 1, JOHN MCDONALD, a citizen ofthe United States,residing in Blair township, in the county of Washington and State ofNebraska, have invented a new and useful'Mud-Toe or Grouter for theDrive- Wheels of Traction-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My' invention relates to improvements in detachable mudtoes or groutersapplied, when occasion requires it, to increase the traction of thedrive-wheels of road-engines, to increase the foothold of thetractionwheels of traction-engines on earth roads and roads orpavements.

the objects of my improvement are, first, to aflord facilities forconveniently and securely attaching the grouter and its easy removal;second, to provide a grouter that will not be destructive to the woodenfloors of highwaybridges or the lank cross-walks in cities; third, toavoid t e increased accumulation of mud on the tread of thetraction-wheel when special grouters are attached, and, fourth, toremove the jolt incident to the use of the ordinary grouter when runningover very hard I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of aportion of the rim and spoke of a traction-wheel with the grouterattached. Fig. 2 is-anoutside view of a portion of the eriphery of therim or the tread of the whee showing the working face of the gruiter asit appears when attached; and Fig. 5 is a view of the same on the insidelooking from the hub of the wheel.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the views.

The treads of the drive-wheels of tractionengines are usually providedwith the cleats or lugs 12 to cut into the'road and prevent slipping inthe direction of the load. They are disposed diagonally across the rim,as shown in Fig. 2, to prevent lateral sli ping also. spaces betweenthese lugs 12 become filled with mud, which destroys their effect. Toovercome this difiiculty, it has heretofore been the custom to attachbetween these lugs on the rims of the wheels a less number of fartherprojecting lugs or outers, spaced evenly around the wheel. t wasnecessary to remove these special grouters to cross the ordinaryhighway-bridge, because projecting of the lugs 12.

In wet weather or on soft fiel s the out farther concentrated the greatweight of the engine at a small hearing, which would crush the planking,as it also did the wooden cross-walks in the cities and towns.

My invention which overcomes these difiiculties consists of an integralpiece of castiron having the fork 9 to engage the lateral edge of therim 11 of a traction-wheel.

The outer surface or tread of the grouter consists of the plain surface2, flanked forward and back by the parallel retiring curved surfaces 4and 3. One end of this tread forms the outer branchS of the fork 9. Thisbranch 8 overlaps the outer eriphery of the rim at its edge'and fills asfar as it projects the circumferential space between two lugs 12 and 12.The edges of the inside portion are convergently curvedor rounded. Oneend of this art projects to form the inner branch 7 of the furcation 9.This branch engages the inner periphery of the rim 1 1.

The inside of the grouter with its inner branch 7 is reinforced by thepair of integral ribs 5 and 5. These ribs are disposed parallelthroughout the length of the grouter. They extend beyond the projectingend of the branch 7 to form a forkto en age the spoke 10 of the wheel.Lateral erf orations toward the pro'ecting ends 0 these rib branchescarry t e bolt 6, which retains the spoke within the fork. This holdsthe grouter fast to the edge of therimof the wheel. Where the spokeconstruction is such that it will not lend itself to this mode ofattachment, the rim 11 is drilled and a short thick bolt insertedinstead of the spoke.

The tread 2 of this grouter is brought into the same circumferentialplane as the treads (See Fig. 1.) Therefore the destruction of. plankingover which they pass is avoided and the olting consequent to othergrouters on hard roads and pavements is eliminated.

The effective or working part of this grouter projects laterally beyondthe edge of the rim most marked on the softer fields, but is quiteefiectiveon a muddy road.

curvature as to facilitate their scourin I whlch reason,1n connectionwith the ISO ated The concave surfaces 3 and 4 are of such for Eath ofthe Wheel and having a bifurcatease to engage the adjacent edge of therim I of the wheel and adapted to be rigidly fastened thereto.

2. A toe or grouter for the Wheels of traction-engines, having abifurcated base to engage, the ed e of the rim of the wheel; and theinner branc of the forked base bifurcated to 20 engage a spoke of theWheel.

one side of the tread of 3. A- detachable toe or grouter to. set to atraction-Wheel, and having a bifurcate base to engage the edge-of therimof said traction-wheel, and one branch of said base furcation againbifurcated to engage a spoke or bolt through the said rim.

4. A detachable toe vor grouter, for the drive-wheels oftraction-engines, having a bifurcation to engage the rim of the Wheel,the inner branch of this bifurcation bifurcated to engage a spoke of-theWheel, and a bolt disposlid through the inner branches against the spoe. Signed at Blair, in tha count of Washington and State of Nebraska, tllis 3d day of October, 1905. JOHN MODONALD.

Witnesses A. P, HO wES,- F. W. KENNY, Sr.

